What are dry eucalypt forests?
Dry eucalypt forests are identified by the dominance of eucalypts that are more than eight metres tall and associated with a multilayered understorey of shrubs that are adapted to dry conditions (xerophytic), by having hard and narrow leaves. Peppermints such as black peppermint (E. amygdalina) and silver peppermint (E. tenuiramis) typically dominate dry eucalypt forests. Understorey trees include wattles (Acacia spp.), sheoak and bulloak (Allocasuarina spp.) and native cherry (Exocarpos cupressiformis). It can be difficult to distinguish between wet and dry eucalypt forests, as there is often a gradual transition between the two and many species occur in both dry and wet forests.
